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WRC: Sébastien Loeb clinches eighth world championship after first day of Wales Rally

November 10, 2011

Sébastien Loeb won the World Rally Championship drivers' title for an eighth time on Friday. Photo by LAT PHOTOGRAPHIC

Sébastien Loeb on Friday won the World Rally Championship drivers' title for an eighth time--even though two days remain to be run in the Wales Rally Great Britain, the WRC season finale.

Citroën driver Loeb started the event eight points clear of Ford pilot Mikko Hirvonen, who needed to win the rally to stand any chance of claiming the title.

Hirvonen had moved ahead of Loeb on Friday's third stage only to spin into a bank on the very next run, damaging the radiator of his Ford Fiesta WRC in the process. He attempted to make it back to the service area--more than 60 miles away--but had to park up by the side of the road, his dreams of the world crown over for another season after it became clear that the engine was damaged beyond repair.

“I had to go flat-out to win and did everything I could, but in the end it wasn't enough,” the Finn said.

Loeb spent the rest of Friday's stages unsure whether Hirvonen would be able to return to the action on Saturday. His pace suffered as a result as he adopted a more cautious approach knowing that the tile was all but beyond Hirvonen's reach.

“For sure it has taken the pressure off me, and now we decide whether we push and attack for the victory,” said Loeb, who has now won more FIA-sanctioned titles than any other driver by moving ahead of Formula One's Michael Schumacher.

Jari-Matti Latvala took advantage of Loeb's caution on Friday afternoon to slash his overnight lead to 1.1 seconds in the other factory Ford entry, despite battling through fog and heavy rain on the demanding forest stages.

Mads Ostberg heads fellow Norwegian Petter Solberg in a close scrap for the final podium spot, with Solberg's older brother, Henning, in fifth place. Ex-Formula One world champion Kimi Räikkönen finished the day in sixth.

Mini showed more promise, with Kris Meeke claiming a stage victory in his John Cooper Works WRC. The Briton could have been in the fight for a podium position had he not dropped back with alternator failure on Friday morning.

American Ken Block heads into Saturday's running ranked 12th, and he admitted that he struggled in the slippery conditions in his Fiesta. Countryman and championship newcomer Chris Duplessis, who is contesting the WRC Academy Cup division, rolled into retirement on stage four. It's not clear whether he will be able to restart on Saturday.